The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical about a masked composer who haunts the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with singer Christine Daaé.

The Phantom of the Opera (novel): Gaston Leroux’s 1910 Gothic novel about a mysterious figure living beneath the Paris Opera House. Leroux’s novel supplied the musical’s central characters, setting, and haunting premise.
Christine Daaé: A young soprano in The Phantom of the Opera who becomes the Phantom’s singing student and object of desire. Her voice and choices drive the musical’s central conflict.
Leitmotif: A recurring musical theme associated with a character, idea, or dramatic situation. The Phantom’s recurring musical material signals his presence even when he is absent.
Her Majesty’s Theatre: A West End theatre in London where The Phantom of the Opera opened in 1986. The production’s original London home anchored its record-setting run.
Andrew Lloyd Webber: An English composer known for popular stage musicals including Cats, Evita, and The Phantom of the Opera. He composed the musical and helped shape its adaptation for the stage.
Erik (The Phantom of the Opera): A disfigured composer who secretly lives beneath the Paris Opera House in Leroux’s novel and its adaptations. The musical’s masked antagonist is a romanticized adaptation of Leroux’s Erik.
Theatre organ: A large pipe organ developed for accompanying silent films and producing varied orchestral effects. The instrument’s sonority informs the musical’s dramatic organ writing and Gothic atmosphere.
Majestic Theatre (Broadway): A Broadway theatre in New York City that hosted The Phantom of the Opera from 1988 to 2023. Its long-running production became one of Broadway’s defining commercial successes.
Richard Stilgoe: An English lyricist and librettist who collaborated on several stage musicals. He co-wrote the musical’s book and lyrics with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart.
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny: A French nobleman and Christine’s childhood friend and suitor in The Phantom of the Opera. His relationship with Christine brings the Phantom’s possessiveness into direct conflict.

Linked from 5 pages